BL4272 Rewilding and Restoration Ecology

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Curricular information may be subject to change

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

To be arranged.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr I M Matthews

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Iain Matthews

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Despite the beauty and drama of its landscapes, Scotland is a nature-depleted nation. This ecological impoverishment, internalised in our science, policy and culture is, in part, a consequence of shifting baseline syndrome, where each generation assumes the nature they experienced in their youth to be normal and unwittingly accepts previous declines. Rewilding is an evolving process of nature recovery that leads to restored ecosystem health, function and completeness. How can Scotland rewild and move beyond protecting past natural baselines to restoring new and healthy wild places? This course will investigate this new rewilding agenda including reviewing Scotland’s biodiversity, and discussing human-wildlife conflict and ecological restoration. We will consider the meaning of the word “wild”, and discuss the political, regulatory, economic, scientific, ecological and social opportunities and constraints that affect attempts to conserve biodiversity in our changing world.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 x 1 hour lectures (x 3 weeks), 1 x 2 hour seminars (x 7 weeks), 1 x residential study tour

Scheduled learning hours

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

106

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

To be able to explain in detail the historical background to the conservation of, and threats to, biodiversity in Scotland.
To understand the ecological, social, economic and political challenges associated with rewilding and conservation.
To work with ecological stakeholders to discuss and understand the socio-ecology of rewilding.
To communicate ideas effectively and professionally by written, oral, and visual means.